Adequate lighting of retail merchandise can be a critical element in effective retail sales. Consumers are typically drawn to retail merchandise that is illuminated such that the merchandise is easily and quickly identified. Therefore, a retail sales establishment may potentially increase the sale of certain retail merchandise by ensuring that the merchandise is effectively illuminated and thus easily and quickly identified by a typical consumer.
Many known retail display lighting systems are used in combination with retail merchandise structures. These systems typically include a pair of support arms, a light element held between the support arms, and mounting hardware and features to affix the support arms to the vertical retail wall. Typically, the support arms extend generally perpendicular to the retail wall at a fixed distance therefrom. The light element is affixed to the free end of the support arms, and therefore also located at a fixed distance from the retail wall. Because the length of the support arms governs one aspect of locating the light, there is a limitation on the functionality of the lighting systems. Light is focused on the retail merchandise located near the end of the supports mounted to the vertical wall, but not merchandise located further away from the end of the supports, resulting in inadequate illumination for some of the retail merchandise. This is particularly an issue when retail merchandise located near the illuminated area is removed by a consumer, leaving the remainder of the retail merchandise in a region having less than desirable illumination.
Moreover, known retail display lighting systems tend to lack in aesthetic appeal because they are assembled from relatively large non-decorative components and have exposed wiring.
A further limitation on the current state of the art is an inability to integrate retail merchandise advertising into these lighting systems, resulting in a retail display having an undesirable plain and ultimately non-functional appearance.
Another limitation of current retail display lighting systems relates to their assembly. Current retail display lighting systems typically require assembly in the retail environment. Assembly in this fashion can require several personnel and a significant amount of labor. This labor intensive assembly also inefficiently uses a portion of the retail space for assembly purposes and not for retail sales.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a retail display lighting system that can be adjusted to effectively illuminate differing types, sizes, amounts and locations of retail merchandise displayed on retail display systems. It would also be desirable that such a retail display lighting system integrate retail merchandise advertising, thus presenting a consumer with an aesthetically pleasing yet functional appearance. It would further be desirable that such a retail display lighting system be designed for quick and cost effective assembly.